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Celebrate the success of 2012, plan for a great 2013

Jan. 01, 2013 @ 12:00 AM

As 2012 comes to an end, many people are looking to 2013 and setting those common New Year's resolutions. Before doing that, take some time and celebrate the successes of 2012. Acknowledge triumphs and get ready for the New Year with these tips from Life Fitness.

Do a year in review to celebrate wins. Did you start strength training this year? Take up a group fitness class? Maybe you started interval training or tracking your workouts. Brainstorm and list the fitness goals you met this year. Thinking of what you got right boosts confidence, reminds you to keep those healthy habits going and sets up your momentum for next year. Be sure and appreciate all of your wins and skip beating yourself up for what didn't happen this year. Use what you didn't accomplish to plan for next year.

Make resolutions, but call them commitments. Resolutions are those things people do the first two weeks of January. Make commitments instead. What will you absolutely commit to doing for the year? Think about what you want to accomplish by the end of 2013. Visualizing those end results can help you get specific and define what you want your commitments to be.

Understand what motivates you. Finding the "why" behind your 2013 commitments is very important. It's what will keep you going when you just don't feel like waking up early or turning down that cake. Motivations are different for everyone. One person might be motivated by wanting to wear a size four while someone else is focused on being a positive role model for their children. Capture what motivates you most so you can remind yourself of it regularly-especially on those days when you really need it.

You can reinvent yourself toward a healthier life at any time of the year, but a new year provides a clean slate and an opportunity to begin again.